


One

by Golden_Asp



Series: One, Three, Four. [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Gen, I Don't Even Know, do not copy to other sites, do not copy without permission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 14:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18622198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Asp/pseuds/Golden_Asp
Summary: *SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME*Tony has a message for Stephen.





	One

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't supposed to end up like this, but this is what happened. The movie was good, I had some issues, but overall I loved it.
> 
> Let me know what you think of this.
> 
> This is also for my survivor's guilt square of 'bad things happen bingo'
> 
> not beta-ed

“Doctor Strange?” Pepper Potts-Stark called, making Stephen flinch. Stephen turned slowly, schooling his face as Pepper approached him.

They were alone in the house that Tony had built, many funeral goers still outside. Stephen’s heart twisted and he felt his eyes burn. There were pictures of Tony and Morgan hanging on the walls, pictures of Tony and Pepper at a small, intimate wedding, Pepper’s stomach swollen with pregnancy. 

In every picture Tony Stark was smiling. 

Stephen had taken that away. 

One possible win. 

One.

Stephen swallowed hard, hiding his trembling hands behind his back.

“Mrs. Stark,” he said, bowing his head slightly. 

“Pepper,” she said gently. 

He wondered if she would be so kind if she knew that he was the reason her husband, the father of her daughter, was dead. 

He didn’t deserve her kindness.

If they knew…

He jumped when he felt a gentle hand on his arm. He stared at her through wide, almost panicked eyes.

“He left something for you,” Pepper said, gently taking Stephen’s trembling hands in her own. Stephen didn’t feel the urge to yank his hands back. He couldn’t tear his eyes from Pepper’s small hands against his larger, scarred ones.

Her words finally broke through the haze in his mind.

“For me?” he croaked.

Pepper smiled softly and led him to the garage. Stephen looked around; they were surrounded by the man, by Tony. Every bit of the garage was clearly his, with tiny things that said his daughter liked to spend time with him there.

Stephen could imagine it; Tony with Morgan on his lap, building, tinkering, laughing.

Living.

Stephen’s knees buckled and he found himself on the floor, Pepper’s arms around him. Broken sobs tore from his chest, catching on his throat, his tongue, his lips, tearing him raw. Pepper held him, her hand in his hair guiding his head to her shoulder.

Stephen seemed to realize where he was and he tried to pull back. Pepper let him, keeping a hold of his hands. Her own eyes were filled with tears, but Stephen was amazed at her strength. 

“I’m so sorry,” Stephen whispered, voice cracked and broken.

Pepper shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is! I set the events in motion. There was only one and it…”

“It was this one,” Pepper said. “I know. And so did he. He always knew.”

Stephen looked stricken, dropping his eyes.

“He told me a bit of what happened on Titan. How you gave up the stone and told him it was the only way.”

Stephen flinched, staring fixedly at the pitted concrete floor. 

“He knew, and he was thankful. We got five years, Stephen. Five perfect years. No, it’ll never be enough, but it’s what we had. He knew that his time was short. He’d known from the time the others came back from space and the stones were gone. He knew, Stephen. He said he was living on borrowed time. That he had been living on borrowed time since Afghanistan.”

Pepper squeezed his hands gently and helped him to his feet. She pulled a wad of Kleenex of the nearest bench and handed it to him. Stephen gave her a watery smile and blew his nose.

She smiled at him, the smile edged by sadness and loss that would always be there. She walked over to a wall and pressed her hand against it. Stephen watched as it slid down, revealing a line of Iron Man helmets. He felt vaguely nauseated; those helmets were useless now.

Pepper picked one up and carried it over to the workbench. She rested her hand on it, thumb stroking the cool metal.

“FRIDAY will start it for you when you ask. Come back to the house when you’re done,” Pepper said.

Stephen nodded, unable to say anything else.

Silence fell as Pepper slipped back to the main house, the only sound Stephen’s rapid breathing.

He’d thought he could handle his choices, but how wrong he’d been. It hadn’t been long since Thanos’ defeat at Tony’s hands, at the cost of Tony’s life. Stephen couldn’t forget. He dreamt of those fourteen million failures, and he couldn’t help but feel that this timeline, this win, was more of a failure than any of those fourteen million he’d seen on Titan.

What kind of man takes a father from his daughter?

The world, the universe, would’ve righted itself eventually. The Vanished weren’t needed, not really, and yet Stephen had pushed events down one path, one singular path that tore Tony Stark from his family, just so he could come back.

Like his mentor, he’d been afraid to die. Afraid to stay in a state that wasn’t true death, or true life.

He let out another bitter sob, sitting on a nearby stool.

“Play it, please,” he said softly.

The helmet turned on, the air shimmering in front of Stephen. 

Stephen’s breath caught at the image of Tony Stark, sitting on a chair in front of him. Stephen could almost believe it was real.

_“Doctor Strange. Stephen. Whoa boy, what do you say to the guy who gave up one of the Infinity Stones, especially after being told in no uncertain terms that the stone was more important than my life?_

_“First, you are a raging dick.”_

Stephen couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up at that, at the mock glare that the hologram of Tony leveled his way.

_“I hated you at first. On that trip back through space, dying a slow death, God I hated you. I blamed you. How could this be the right path? The only one? Then Carol showed up and I slipped through Death’s fingers again and yay me, I got to see Steve again. God, I wish I had been able to punch his perfect face, but I was weak, physically and emotionally. Anyway, you don’t care about this. Why am I even saying this?_

_“But then Pepper was there, alive, real, her arms around me, and I hated you a little less. I had lost everything, but not her. I left the Avengers. Let them avenge. I wanted nothing to do with it anymore. I didn’t think about what you said. I wanted to forget. So I did._

_“Pepper told me she was pregnant, and after everything, after losing the kid on Titan, it was the happiest and most terrifying moment of my life. I had never cried so hard in my life. We were married here, on this property. Then we welcomed Morgan into the world, and what kind of world was that to bring a child into?_

_“What kind of world was I leaving her? What kind of example was I setting? What if I could help? What if I could fix it? But it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was Pepper, and my little girl._

_“I got five years with them, Stephen. Five perfect, wonderful years. We leave tomorrow to do this time travel thing, and as much as I want to believe we’ll all make it back, I don’t think we will. What are the chances? I could give you an actual probability, but you already know, don’t you?_

_“I don’t know why I’m leaving you this. We barely knew each other. Hell, we barely tolerated each other for those few hours we did know each other, but I have to believe that you were right. I have to believe that I can help bring other families together, even if I don’t get to keep mine._

_“Wong told me about you. He’s a pretty cool dude, for a librarian. I learned a lot about you, and you know what? I wish we could’ve been friends. I think we could’ve been good. So, I have to go. I have one more message to record after this, for Pep and Morgan. I want to ask you something, and you know what? You owe me, so don’t dismiss this out of hand.”_

Tony fell silent and Stephen leaned forward, barely aware of the tears streaming down his face.

_“Not that Pep needs it, especially since she’s got her own armor now, but watch over her and Morgan for me. Protect them because I can’t. Don’t let Pepper drown, and don’t you drown, Stephen. I’ll never forget the way you said my name on Titan. Wish we could’ve talk about that. I think Pepper will like you. You’re a snarky dick. Just her type.”_

Stephen watched as Tony turned and Morgan appeared in the hologram. Tony lifted her, pressing a kiss against her temple.

_“Daddy, what are you doing?”_

_“Saying hi to a friend. Do you want to say hi, ladybug? Say hello to Stephen.”_

_“Hi, Stephen!”_

_“Good girl. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be up, okay?”_

_“Mommy says lunch is getting cold and to hurry up.”_

_“I’ll be right there.”_

Tony set Morgan down and she ran out of the image, Tony’s eyes locked on her back. Tony sighed, rubbing his face. Stephen could see tears on his cheeks.

_“Protect her, Stephen. It’s all for her. Watch over them both. Maybe…maybe after this I might be able to rest. I don’t think I really have in a long, long time. See you on the other side.”_

The hologram went dark, leaving Stephen alone in the silent garage. 

The only movement came from Stephen’s trembling hands as he sat there, breathing hard.

“You didn’t have to ask, Tony,” Stephen whispered to the air. He would give up his life, his hands, all the magic in the universe to protect that little girl.

He took a shuddering breath, covering his face with shaking hands.

Tony was right, he was drowning. He was drowning in a sea of guilt. Everywhere he looked he saw people getting their friends and loved ones back, but it was his choice that took Tony from his friends and family, and Tony was asking him to be part of that group. 

He wasn’t sure he could.

He was crying again, those glass edged sobs lacerating his throat. He wished he’d brought the Cloak, but he hadn’t wanted to remind everyone of magic, of his role in Tony Stark’s death. He pressed his forehead against the cold cement of the floor, tears staining the grey beneath him.

He froze when he felt a tiny hand on his shoulder, questioning touches.

Stephen lifted his head and met Tony’s eyes in a little girl’s face.

Morgan stared at him, dark hair hanging around her face, wearing pink pajamas with ladybugs on them.

“Who’re you?” she asked, still touching him.

“Stephen,” he whispered hoarsely. Her eyes lit up and she smiled.

“You’re one of Daddy’s friends,” she said. “He left a message for you and I helped.”

“I saw,” Stephen said, sitting up fully. He wondered if Morgan was supposed to be down here, but he couldn’t say the words.

Morgan looked around, seemingly looking for something. “Have you seen Daddy?”

Stephen nearly swallowed his tongue in terror. Please don’t let me be the one to explain that her father is never coming back, he thought to himself.

“They said he’s gone but…he’s always come back before.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Stephen whispered. Morgan crawled into his lap without reservation and Stephen held her. Thin arms wrapped around his neck as Stephen started to cry again.

Oh, to be a child and not yet fully understand death.

He felt Morgan’s tears on his shoulder and his arms tightened around her. He buried his face in her hair, trying to swallow his own tears in trying to comfort the child in his arms.

Morgan sniffed, her small body shaking in Stephen’s embrace. “Did you sneak out of bed?” he whispered.

“I heard Daddy’s voice and came to find him, but I can’t,” she cried.

Stephen closed his eyes, anguish twisting his heart into a hardened knot. 

He’d done this. 

He heard the door and looked up; Pepper stood framed by the doorway, her own face streaked with tears. 

“Daddy’s resting now,” Stephen whispered, his eyes locked with Pepper’s. “Daddy’s resting now.”

Drowning in a sea of guilt, Stephen could only wonder when his own rest would come.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. I don't even know anymore. 
> 
> I just know that I love Morgan Stark with all my heart.
> 
> comments and kudos are love.


End file.
